New book by KSU alum and professor captures lives of iconic Atlanta twins

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Neil Wilkinson will sign his tribute to trailblazers Ruth and Ruby Crawford at Nov.
17…

Georgia (Nov 11, 2010) —

KENNESAW, Ga. (Nov. 11, 2010) —The Kennesaw State University Press will launch on Nov. 17 a new book about Ruth and
Ruby Crawford, the twin sisters who shattered the glass ceiling for Georgia women
in banking, law and business in the 1940s and who were fixtures on Atlanta’s civic
and social scenes for more than 60 years.

WHAT:

An official launch and book signing for “Running on Full: The Story of Ruth & Ruby
Crawford” by Neil Wilkinson will be held at Mary Mac’s Tea Room, one of the sisters’
favorite Atlanta hangouts. More than 600 politicians, civic and business leaders,
lawyers, judges and members of the church and organizations to which the Crawford
sisters belonged have been invited.

WHO:

Ruth and Ruby Crawford were the first women bank officers in Georgia, and also were trailblazers as lawyers
and realtors. They were active members of Atlanta’s Peachtree Road United Methodist
Church, from where they ceremoniously greeted Peachtree Road Race runners for more
than 30 years, and volunteered for the Buckhead Christian Ministry and Feed the Hungry
Project, the Atlanta Humane Society, North Fulton Senior Citizens Services, and as
docents at the Carter Center. The twins have been the subject of many books and articles
featuring southern living and women in business and have appeared on TV and in film,
including “What’s My Line?” “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and a GPTV documentary titled
“Lost Atlanta: The Way We Were.”

Neil Wilkinson, the book’s author, is an adjunct professor of business law at Kennesaw State’s Coles
College of Business and a graduate of KSU’s Master of Arts in Professional Writing
program. The Crawford sisters chose him from at least a half-dozen writers vying to
pen their memoirs. He interviewed the sisters and conducted research over four years
prior to Ruth’s death in 2005 and Ruby’s in 2009.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 35,000 students. With 13 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. A Carnegie-designated doctoral institution, it is one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.